LeBron James isn’t there. When the most important phase of the NBA season begins on Saturday (7:00 p.m. CEST) with the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz duel, the most important player in the best basketball league in the world only watches, if at all, on television.
The Los Angeles Lakers failed to qualify after a disappointing season. Here are some of the candidates who could play a starring role in the playoffs in place of the 37-year-old.
Stephen Curry:
The Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for two years, but now the team that made it to the finals five times in a row from 2015 and 2019 and won the title three times during this time is back. Should it be enough for the Warriors’ seventh title, then because the best three-pointer in NBA history, who was missing due to a foot injury, is healthy again and is delivering top performance. Curry was optimistic that he would be able to intervene soon.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving:
As of Tuesday night, it wasn’t even clear if the Nets were in the playoffs. The superstar trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, who seemed unbeatable at the beginning of the season, hardly played together – Durant was injured, Irving is not vaccinated against Corona and Harden surprisingly went to Philadelphia at the end of the change period. Because of the outstanding quality of Durant and Irving, the Nets are still among the title candidates despite seventh place in the main round.
Giannis Antetokounmpo:
The Greek proved with his first title last season that he’s unstoppable on a good day and hard to stop on a bad one. If the Bucks have a starring role again by June and the Finals, it’s in very large part due to the 27-year-old prankster.
Joel Embiid:
The big guy at the Philadelphia 76ers often doesn’t get the attention his quality deserves, even on the many sports programs in the USA. With 30.6 points, he averaged more per game than any other player in the NBA main round. For a few weeks, Embiid has also had a new partner at its side in Harden. In Philadelphia, the fans dream.
Luka Doncic:
Due to a calf injury, it is unclear whether the Slovenian can play against Utah on Saturday. The earlier he gets there, the better the Mavericks’ chances of making it through the first round of the playoffs – something the team hasn’t done since Dirk Nowitzki’s 2011 championship.
Nikola Jokic:
The most valuable player of the last main round played another very strong season and felt like the nuggets almost single-handedly led them to a playoff spot. If the Denver team beat the Warriors in the first round, it will be because of Jokic.
Chris Paul:
Paul is arguably one of the best players to have ever amassed in the NBA. His qualities and experience as a playmaker are outstanding, but he was never the man for the spectacular scenes because of his height of only 1.82 meters. If, after the defeat in the final with the Phoenix Suns a year ago, this attempt is enough to win his first championship, it will certainly be because he has taken on and filled a leading role as the team’s conductor.
Source: dpa